Too good to be true, too impossible to believe, he thought. But the reality of touching the man's body and the soft sensation of his breath on his chest testified to the fact that what was happening was indeed true and needed to be believed.
The phone rang. Tonio stirred and raised his face to look at Karl. "Good morning," he said in a husky, sleep filled voice that made Karl's penis twitch and his balls contract.
Karl smiled his greeting as he reached for the phone. "Hello?"
"Buon giorno," said the deep male voice at the other end of the phone. "This is your wake-up call and your reminder that your tour leaves for the Tuscan wine country and Pisa at ten o'clock."
"Thank you," said Karl before hanging up.
"What did the...phone?"
Karl nodded.
"What did the phone say to you?" asked Tonio.
"Our tour leaves at ten o'clock."
"Good, then we have time to say good morning properly."
Tonio raised himself up and pulled Karl into his arms. The morning kiss caused sensations of pleasure to surge through Karl's body like nothing he had ever felt before.
Locked in a firm but gentle embrace, the two men pressed against one another. Karl wished he could be totally absorbed by the man holding him in his arms.
Breaking the kiss, Tonio looked into Karl's eyes. He smiled a crooked smile and said, "I need a little breakfast."
Karl had no idea what Tonio meant. He merely smiled back and said, "Okay."
What happened next caught the older man by surprise. Tonio slowly made his way down Karl's body, kissing, licking, sucking as he did. Karl made involuntary mewing sounds as each new erogenous zone was explored. When his partner reached his hips, Karl fairly bucked off the bed. Tonio looked up and smiled, took Karl's throbbing penis in his hand and with one swift movement swallowed him to the base. Karl screamed and grabbed the sides of Tonio's head.
"Oh, God! Oh, God!" he cried over and over.
In less than ten seconds, he exploded into his lover's mouth, coming more strongly than he could ever remember.
"Tonio, my Tonio," he sighed. "I love you. I love you."
Tonio raised himself up from between Karl's legs and came forward on all fours.
He kissed Karl gently, allowing some of Karl's semen to pass into his mouth. The taste was familiar. Karl had often licked his cum from his fingers after masturbating, but this was different. Knowing it had been in Tonio's mouth increased his pleasure.
The young man then rose up and straddled Karl's chest, his erect, pre-cum dripping phallus inches from his face. Before Karl could lean forward to take the offering into his mouth, Tonio began stroking it. The foreskin slid back and forth over the glistening head. Karl was mesmerized. He felt his own cock rise to full erection. He took hold and began to stroke in rhythm to that of the Adonis who knelt over him.
In a matter of minutes, Tonio shuddered, stiffened and whispered, "Amore mio!"
His ejaculation coated Karl's face and chest. Karl began to climax seconds later.
When both men had completed their orgasms, Tonio lay down on Karl's chest. Karl could feel the deep breathing, the pounding heart and the slippery substance between them. If this wasn't heaven, he couldn't imagine what was.
He didn't want the moment to end. But, it did. There was a soft knock on the door.
"Room service," came a voice with a strong Italian accent.
"Oh, God!" Panicking, Karl jumped out of bed and tripped on the pile of discarded garments as he pulled the hotel provided white terry robe off the hook on the other side of the bathroom door. He ran for the room door, struggling to cover himself with the garment.
Tonio laughed.
The knock came again. "Room service."
Karl threw the door open, smiled at the porter and then froze. Tonio!
He wheeled around. Tonio was lying on the bed, covers around his waist, looking both innocent and sensual at the same time.
"Sorry," Karl said, turning back to the server. "I...uh...we didn't order room service."
"Scusa," returned the handsome young man. "The breakfast, she part of your tour...it is... omaggio...gratis..."
"Complimentary?" Karl offered.
"Si, complimentary."
"Uh...okay...come in."
The server entered the room, pushing the cart before him. There, not to Karl's surprise after the events of the last twelve hours, was a breakfast for two.
"Buon giorno," Tonio called with a wave to the young man.
"Buon giorno," came the reply with what Karl interpreted as a knowing smile and a raised eyebrow.
Karl blushed.
The waiter stopped at the door and smiled at Karl.
"Oh! Oh, yes, sorry..." Karl fumbled with the clothing on the floor and pulled out his wallet and offered a tip to the young man, who nodded appreciatively.
"Grazie," he said and left with another nod to Tonio and, Karl was sure, a wink.
"Let's eat, I am starving," said Tonio, leaping up from the bed.
Karl laughed softly and pulled the desk chair up to the cart. Tonio sat on the edge of the bed.
They were quiet during their meal. The food was excellent, and Karl, realizing how hungry he was, enjoyed the breakfast and the company.
One should always make love before breakfast, and then eat naked with your lover, he mused, smiling at the beautiful young man across from him.
After they finished eating, Karl switched on the morning news on CNN English.
"The apparent abduction of the famous statue of David by Michelangelo remains a mystery. Authorities have no leads and no idea how a work of art of that size, so well guarded, could have disappeared in what seems to be a twinkling of an eye. It is as if David Copperfield, the master magician, had pulled off one of his amazing vanishing acts. The whereabouts of the world famous sculpture is still unknown."
"Well, we know where 'he' is, do we not, mio amore?" Tonio said as he rose and pulled Karl into his arms.
"Yes, I guess we do." Karl initiated a kiss for the first time. His heart warmed and he hardened. "I guess we better get ready to join the tour." He hesitated. "That is if you want to?"
"But of course, it will be fun. I am learning so much of your way of life, now my way of life." Tonio bent down, picked up his shorts and started to dress.
"No, we need to shower."
"Shower?"
"Yes, bathe, clean up. We...uh...kind of smell."
"If you say so," Tonio said with a shrug. "How do you...uh...shower?"
Karl led the way into the bathroom. Once inside, the faucets, mirrors and fixtures fascinated Tonio all over again. The previous night Tonio had laughed heartily as Karl had explained how to use the toilet. Tonio had insisted on flushing the device three times.
Karl shed his robe and turned to the glass-enclosed shower. He reached inside and turned on the water. Tonio stood leaning over his shoulder, watching the process, his semi-hard cock pressing into the crack of Karl's ass. Karl breathed deeply and pushed back against him. He relished every new experience, every new sensation.
They stepped into the warm needle spray. Tonio expressed his enjoyment with oh's and ah's. Karl showed him how to unwrap the scented soap, proceeding to lather him up and wash his magnificent body. The effect, of course, was to bring both men to full erection. Tonio took the soap and soon Karl was covered with lather. They took each other in hand and as they kissed under the cascading showerhead they brought each other to another climax.
Climbing out of the shower, they rubbed each other dry. Tonio sat on the closed toilet and watched, fascinated as Karl shaved. Finally they walked back into the other room.
Karl checked the clock. "We have time, if we hurry, to get to the hotel store and get you some better fitting clothes to wear."
"I am happy to wear these. I have only worn them once."
"Well, in this world people usually change everyday."
"Strange," said the neophyte twenty-first century man. "But fine
, if you say so.
Let's get some new clothes."
They emerged from the hotel's men's couturier a half-hour later. Just outside they ran into Myrna.
"Well, looky here," she said with her strong southern drawl. "Don't ya'll look purty now?"
Tonio looked to Karl.
"She thinks you look very nice in your new clothes," Karl said to his protégé.
Karl had to agree. Tonio was wearing safari shorts and sandals. A tight royal blue tank top set off his eyes and showed off his muscular arms and chest. A gold chain and sunglasses finished off the ensemble. He looked like something from an Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue. Karl smiled with pride.
"Grazie," the stud replied, giving Myrna a smile that would melt iron.
"Ye'r one lucky son of a gun," she said to Karl, poking him in the ribs. He reacted with shock.
"What do you mean by that?" he demanded.
"Oh, don't act all surprised and goody-goody. Any fool can see you two is a couple. Come on, the bus is about to leave."
Karl stood, open-mouthed, feeling his cheeks turn red.
"What did she say?" Tonio asked.
"Ah...nothing...never mind. Come on."
Karl took Tonio by the elbow and steered him toward the front entrance and the waiting tour bus. He had to persuade the young man to leave the revolving door after three revolutions. As they climbed the steps and entered the bus, Myrna called out to them.
"Hey, you two, over here."
She was saving seats on the three abreast side of the vehicle. They let Tonio in first to sit by the window. Karl tried to explain away Tonio's excitement and astonishment at the vehicle as being due to his having little travel experience. Myrna bought it.
"Well, ya tell 'im he can sit by the winder and enjoy hisself. Y'all sit next to 'im so ya won't get too lonely."
Karl rolled his eyes, but took his seat without further comment.
The bus rolled out from under the portico and onto the narrow, crowded street.
Tonio was glued to the window as the city rolled by. Karl could only imagine how being thrust five hundred years into the future was impacting the young man, as he craned his neck to watch the cars, bicycles and motor scooters whiz by.
As they went along, Tonio would recognize certain buildings and offered a comment or two about things that he remembered happening there.
At one point, he indicated a stone structure and exclaimed, "There, there is where I lived with Micho."
He looked sad after seeing the lodging of his former lover, when to him their good-bye was only days in his past. Karl squeezed his hand reassuringly. Tonio smiled.
Myrna hardly paid any attention as she jabbered on about the trip, cute butts and her ongoing search for real pizza. Karl's attention was totally focused on Tonio, and his childlike enthusiasm for the experience he was having.
"Karl, I'm talkin' to ya!" Myrna jabbed him in the ribs.
"What?" he said in irritation, turning to her just as Giorgio, the sexy tour guide, announced that they were leaving Florence.
"I aksed ya if they let you climb up in that there leanin' tower." She was looking at the tour guidebook and a picture of the famous tower in Pisa. "Looks like the fool thing'll fall over."
"I don't know," he said. And I don't care, he thought as he turned back to the window.
Tonio's seat was empty!
Karl looked around frantically. Where had he gone? How could he have slipped by him and Myrna without notice? The seat behind them was empty. Maybe he'd climbed over the seat.
"Myrna, where's Antonio? Did he get up while we were talking?"
"What're ya talkin' about? Who's Antonio?"
"Antonio, Antonio, the young man that was sitting right here," Karl said in exasperation. "You offered him the window seat. We had dinner with him last night,"
Myrna looked at Karl suspiciously. "What ya'll been drinkin'? I don't know what the hell ye'r talkin' about? I don't know no Antonio."
Karl felt prickles all up and down his spine. He was light headed. "Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom."
"Yeah, ya better get yerself some water. Ya look like y'all seen a ghost." Myrna turned in her seat to let Karl out.
He staggered down the aisle and found the men's toilet.
The sign on the latch said, Occupato. He's got to be in here, he thought frantically.
Karl knocked.
"Hold your horses. I'll be done when I'm done," came the gruff voice from the other side of the door.
Karl leaned against the opposite wall. He pressed his fingers to his temples. That wasn't Tonio's voice.
The door opened. A huge man emerged. Karl wondered how he fit in the miniscule lavatory.
"Patience is a virtue, nud!"
"Sorry," Karl mumbled.
The man squeezed past him in the narrow corridor. Karl entered the bathroom, latched the door and sat down on the closed toilet. Tonio had disappeared. Or had he ever appeared? Karl took several steadying breaths. He went over the events of the past day; his wish; Tonio's appearance in his room, their lovemaking. Could it all have been in his head: a figment of his imagination brought on by his loneliness and longing for someone to be in his life? He felt as heavy as lead.
Slowly he rose from the toilet, opened the door and started making his way back to Myrna and his seat.
That has to be it, he thought. Just a dream, a beautiful, wonderful dream.
But it seemed so real, he continued to himself. Like this morning when we shopped for clothes...
"When we shopped for clothes!" he said out loud.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" asked an elderly woman sitting in the aisle seat where he had stopped.
"Nothing...ah...nothing," Karl murmured. The woman went back to her knitting.
We shopped for clothes! Karl said again to himself. I put them on my charge card.
Swaying in the aisle of the bus as it sped along the narrow highway, he pulled out his wallet. Fumbling through the folds, he pulled out what he was looking for: a charge slip. There in Italian it read: camicia blu, pantaloncini safari, sandalo: blue shirt, safari shorts and sandals!
Tonio was here! But where was he now? Had he gone back? If he had, the statue would have returned! How could he find out?"
"Signore Simons?" Giorgio was standing next to him in the swaying bus. "Is something wrong? Are you all right?"
"Ah...yes...I'm fine. Ah...tell me, when does the bus stop for a break?"
"When we reach Chianti Classico for our winery tour, in about half an hour."
"Thank you, thank you." Karl patted Giorgio on the shoulder and moved past him.
He sat down next to Myrna, who had moved to the window seat.
"You still look a little pale," she observed. "You better have a good snort of sumthin' when we get to that there wine factory."
"Yes," said Karl. "I sure will."
* * * *
Before the bus had even come to a complete stop, Karl was up out of his seat and headed for the door. Getting to the front seats, he collided with Giorgio as the tour guide rose to give instructions for the stop at the winery.
"Whoa, Signore Simons, you are one big hurry."
"Ah...yes... sorry. I...um...need to..." Karl couldn't think of an excuse for his rush to get off the vehicle, so he just repeated, "Sorry."
Once on the ground in the parking area, Karl cast about, trying to figure out where he might go to gain the information he so desperately wanted. To the left he saw a small house that looked like an office or welcome booth. He trotted toward it.
Inside, a pretty young woman stood behind a counter looking through a stack of papers. She looked up as he came in. "Posso aiutarlo?"
"Do you speak English?" he blurted out.
Smiling and laughing softly she replied, "Yes, Signore."
Realizing he was coming across as a rude American tourist, he backtracked. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude."
"It is all right. What can I do for you?" she re
plied, still smiling.
"Is there a television or radio here anywhere? I need to try to find out about...ah about..."
"Yes?" she asked, leaning forward as if to help him finish his sentence.
Karl took a deep breath, "About the David statue."
"What about the statue?"
"If it's been returned."
"Returned? I am sorry, I do not understand."
"The David was stolen yesterday, and I was just wondering ..."
"The David stolen? How can that be! It is too big to steal!"
"I guess that means you haven't heard about it?"
"No," said the young woman, shaking her pretty head. "We do not watch much television here. Our bed and breakfast is noted for its restful seclusion. But, we do have a television. It is in the back office. I can turn it on for you."
"Yes, please," Karl said, eagerly.
"This way," she said, leading him behind the counter to the office. She switched on the small television with a smile. "What would you like to see?"
"A news station?"
"I am sorry we don't have very good reception here. We have only the antenna, not the cable or satellite. You can try to find what you are looking for."
She smiled and left him alone in the small office.
Probably thinks I'm crazy. Hell, I think I'm crazy, Karl mused as he turned the old-fashioned channel selector on the black and white television.
After a few minutes, it became apparent the few stations that he could tune in were not going to give him any news. He turned off the set and walked back to the reception area.
"Thank you," he said flatly.
"I am sorry. You did not find out what you wanted?"
"No, but I appreciate your concern."
Karl walked out into the sunshine. He wasn't sure where the tour had gone. He wandered around the garden area, his hands shoved into his pockets, his shoulders slumped. He ambled by a sign: Winery Tours, it read in English, Spanish, French, and Italian. An arrow showed the way.
Karl's Italian Adventure Page 3
